The present invention relates to an embroidered emblem and a method of making an embroidered emblem and, in particular, an embroidered emblem and a method of making an embroidered emblem having an appearance so that when the emblem is applied to a garment or other fabric, it appears as though the embroidery has been applied directly to the garment or other fabric.
In general, embroidered emblems and methods for making embroidered emblems are well known in the art. A particular embroidered emblem and method of making the embroidered emblem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,060 entitled “Embroidered Emblem With Thermoplastic Adhesive” and U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,211 entitled “Method For Making Embroidered Emblem” both of which are owned by the assignee of the present application. These two related patents disclose an embroidered emblem 110 of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the present application and which comprises a fabric base 112 with an embroidered design 114, including an embroidered border around the periphery of the base fabric 112, on at least a front or first principal surface 116 of the fabric base 112 and a thermoplastic adhesive material 118 laminated or bonded to the rear or second principal surface 120 of the fabric base 112. In this manner, the embroidered emblem 110 can be conveniently fastened to a garment or other fabric surface through the application of at least one of heat and pressure to melt the thermoplastic material 118 and thereby bond the fabric base 112 to the garment or other fabric surface. A similar emblem and method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,742. The subject matter of each of the three above-mentioned patents is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application.
While the emblems disclosed in the three above-mentioned patents are quite acceptable and while the methods disclosed in the patents are quite useful in manufacturing such emblems, there is a need in the art for an emblem which provides an enhanced appearance when secured to a garment or other fabric. In particular, there is a need for an embroidered emblem which has a fabric base which is the same as or substantially the same as the fabric of the garment or other fabric surface to which the emblem will be secured so that when the embroidered emblem is secured to the garment or other fabric surface the fabric base blends in with the garment or other fabric surface so that it appears as though the embroidered design of the emblem was embroidered directly onto the garment or other fabric surface. For example, in some industries in which employees wear uniforms, the uniforms may have one or more embroidered emblems such as a company logo applied to the uniform shirt or jacket. Typically the names or other personalized information of the employees are embroidered directly onto the uniform shirt or jacket to provide a cleaner, neater appearance. Direct embroidery of an employee name in this manner adds substantial expense to the cost of the garment and, because removal of such direct embroidery is not feasible, precludes the garment from being re-used by another employee when the named employee leaves the company. The present invention provides an embroidered emblem which has the appearance of direct embroidery when applied to a garment but which is much less expensive to produce and apply to the garment and which can be conveniently and completely removed from the garment to permit re-use of the garment.